The major function of disposable absorbent products, such as diapers, training pants, incontinence articles, sanitary napkins, panty liners, and the like, is to absorb and contain body exudates. Although these absorbent articles may be highly efficient for the absorption of liquids, they may also create a humid micro-environment adjacent to the body regions where they are worn. This humid micro-environment often results in overhydration of the skin. It is known that overhydrated skin is more susceptible to skin disorders, including erythema (i.e., redness), diaper rash or diaper dermatitis, heat rash, and skin barrier break-down, and skin damages relating to abrasions and pressure marks.
It is well recognized that compositions for treating diapered skin should desirably have barrier protective qualities. Additionally, the compositions should desirably have good affinity to the skin and are resistant to rub-off or wash-off such that they provide long-lasting barrier protection to the skin. Many compositions contain an emulsion type carrier that has a water phase and an oil phase. The relative high water content of the emulsion type compositions tends to exacerbate the overhydration problem of the diapered skin. Other compositions contain high contents of volatile carriers, such as low molecular weight silicones, alcohols or other solvents, which evaporate and leave a substantive residue on the skin. However, vapors from these volatile carriers may irritate the skin of certain individuals. Other compositions contain an anhydrous substantive carrier, such as petrolatum or organic waxes. These compositions have a greasy and tacky feel when applied to the skin, and tend to transfer onto and stain clothing or other surfaces which contact the area of application.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a composition that has good affinity to the skin such that it resists rub-off by abrasion with clothing or other contacting surfaces, and wash-off by water or body liquids such as urine, menses, sweat, and runny bowl movement (BM).
It is further desirable to provide a composition that forms a film, which adheres to the skin and contains beneficial skin care ingredients that are held in intimate contact with the skin by the film forming nature of the composition.
It is also desirable to provide a composition that is substantive and forms a protective barrier on the skin. Such barrier protects the skin from direct contact with moisture, body exudates or other irritants. Such barrier also minimizes abrasions between the skin and clothing or other contacting surfaces.
It is further desirable that this novel composition may be administered to the target skin area via multiple delivery vehicles, such as pads, bandages, patches, sticks, aerosol dispensers, pump sprays, trigger sprays, canisters, and disposable absorbent articles. In this respect, it is desirable that the composition may be administered to the target skin without leaving a messy aesthetically unpleasing residue on the skin. It is further desirable that the composition may be administered without direct contact with the users' or applicators' hands, thus, no messy residue is left on the user's hands and no additional cleaning step is required after administering the composition.
Moreover, it is desirable that this novel composition is solid or semi-solid at ambient temperature so that it is immobilized on the surface of or within the cavity of the delivery vehicle. This is especially desirable when the delivery vehicle is an absorbent article. The immobilization of the composition minimizes the migration of the composition into the absorbent article, which interferes with the absorbency of the article and renders less composition available for delivery to the skin. The composition should preferably soften, plasticize or become flowable at or near skin temperature, or when a slight pressure or shear force is applied, so that it is readily transferable to the skin.